Organising a creative, adventurous and contented life

October 2011

28/10/2011

Debate posts will allow us to explore an ongoing organising dilemma, and share the approach we use.

Option A: Rotate clothing by season

There are many advantages to bringing clothes into and out of our wardrobes based on the time of year (generally during Spring and Autumn):

Discovery: Each time we unpack the upcoming season's clothes, it's exciting to unearth treasured pieces we'd forgotten we owned.

Space: Bulky jackets and rarely worn occasion-outfits can be stored out-of-the way, freeing up prime wardrobe space for clothes we wear all the time.

Evaluation: By changing over our clothes twice a year, we set a natural cycle for reviewing what we keep.

Simplicity: It is easy to decide what to wear when only suitable choices are hanging on the rails or folded on the shelves.

Option B: Keep all clothing in wardrobe

An alternative is keeping every item of clothing we own in our current wardrobe. Here’s why we might choose this option:

Layering: A great solution to changing weather is to layer pieces. A long-sleeved tee can be worn as a light jumper in summer, and a short-sleeved shirt looks great over a long tee in winter.

Creativity: It’s easier to put together new outfits when we have all our options available to us. Who says we can’t wear a light skirt over leggings in Winter, or a cord jacket in Summer?

Space: The best space saver is to reduce our collection to favourite pieces that flatter us and that we love to wear. This leaves storage space for other uses.

Quality: Clothes in storage crease, take on a musty smell, and can be damaged by bugs.

Time: If all our clothes are in one wardrobe, we don’t have to schedule sessions to wash, iron, and rotate items.

What I do:

I have tried both options, but for the last few years, I have settled on Option B—keeping all my clothes, shoes and accessories in my current wardrobe. I enjoy seeing all my options in one place, find it easier to select outfits from a smaller complete collection, and am frequently wearing pieces out-of-season. I do change the position of items on shelves, however, moving longer-sleeve tops forward in Winter and back in Summer, and filling an easily accessible basket with hats in Summer; beanies and gloves in Winter.

What do you do?

Let us know what you do by leaving a comment: Option A, B, or perhaps a combination of both.

25/10/2011

Expert tips are gems I uncover during my research. This idea is from a book by author and Miss Minimalist blogger, Francine Jay (www.missminimalist.com).

Set a limit on each category of your belongings so they don’t expand beyond what you can comfortably store and maintain. This works particularly well with collections related to your interests such as books, movies, and music, along with functional items such as clothing and cookbooks. Review the categories often. As you add new items, also remove the unloved and unwanted to keep your possessions fresh. “Thus, instead of growing in quantity, our collection grows in quality…Make this a habit, and it’ll transform your living room [and other areas]: instead of being a stale memorial to old interests and pastimes, it’ll be a dynamic space reflecting your family’s current tastes” (p. 107).

21/10/2011

“To simplify my environment so that a vacillating will is kept in the ways that I love. Instead of pulled this way and that in response to the suggestion of the crowd and the line of least resistance.”Marion Milner

Milner, a British author and psychoanalyst writing in the 1930s, was perceptive of the influence our surroundings exert on our behaviour. She wrote about her seven-year journey exploring what made her happy in her recently reprinted book, A Life of One's Own.

I love this quote from the book because it represents an excellent strategy for focusing our attention on what is important to us.

We can set up our surroundings to closely reflect our priorities, and remove anything that distracts. If we have only what we use and love—arranged in a functional way—there is no detritus to wade through to get to it.

Our minds are designed to constantly absorb and process what is going on around us. This is not a flaw; we just don’t want to miss anything that might be important. One problem, though, is that faced with more options and decisions than ever before, we often only have time to skim the surface.

And here’s the result: When too many things pull on our attention, we feel overwhelmed and can end up doing nothing, or something meaningless, as the urge to procrastinate kicks in.

But what if we could minimise or remove these distractions until we are left with only the best?

Imagine walking through your home and being reminded of what you love to do: a well-stocked bookcase and comfy reading chair; a clear table-top with favourite board games nearby; or a hiking pack ready to go.

Just as important are the elements missing from this picture: the bag of neglected knitting; the unused tennis racket; or the stack of unread magazines—each will make you feel guilty if they are sitting in your prime living space.

Here are some ways you can streamline your environment so you can dive straight in to doing what you love:

Set up clearly defined zones and supplies where you can indulge your interests. Do the same with each person living in your home.

Pass equipment and materials from old interests along to someone who will use them.

Choose quality over quantity: a couple of relaxing ways to spend each evening; one or two activities for your children per week; two big projects rather than twenty.

Write down a shortlist of favourite activities for unexpected blocks of open time.

Create an inspiring atmosphere where it’s easy to enjoy your favourite things: uncluttered surfaces; candles ready to light in the evenings; your most-loved music playing; a movie you really want to watch in the DVD player; one or two interesting books by your bed.

Highlight important projects: place a file holder next to your desk to hold high-impact work and keep on your desktop only what you are currently working on. Toss or file completed paperwork regularly so it doesn’t dilute your priorities.

The outside world will try to pull you in many different directions: limit television viewing to pre-chosen programs and avoid the ads; set a search strategy before you log on to the Internet; and don’t browse catalogues indiscriminately.

Release any fear you might have about missing out: when you divide your attention and time in too many different ways, what you actually lose out on is richness and depth. Sampling life is nowhere near as satisfying as going deeply into your relationships and interests.

Your aim is to look around and see that every activity and possession contributes to something you are actively interested in and engaged with.

15/10/2011

Expert tips are gems I uncover during my research. This idea is from a book by Australian professional organiser, Lissanne Oliver (www.sorted.net.au).

Create a filing map of three to four major categories (you can make secondary levels underneath). As your filing builds up, pre-sort into filing trays that match your categories. Alternatively, if you have a three- or four- drawer filing cabinet, pre-file into a tray for each drawer. Of course, you can always file daily, but this system is perfect for those times when the pile gets out of hand, or if you don't have the time or inclination to file so often.

12/10/2011

Organising is often described as an ongoing process. After all, there are always cupboards to be decluttered, lists to be rewritten, and routines to be adjusted.

Organising is never completed. Or is it?

Without an end point, organising can be an obsessive activity where we continually re-sort, re-evaluate, and re-arrange. These are important things to do, but unchecked can take up large amounts of time and energy.

We can spend our days organising the same things in the same way, never getting anywhere new. Getting our filing system perfect, books alphabetised, or family timetable planned to the minute are ways we minimise instead of maximise our efficiency.

Being extra organised is not about doing more; it’s about doing less. It’s choosing some destinations: core relationships, activities, and possessions we can spend ourselves on, while letting go of the rest.

How easy it is to walk the path of least resistance and use ourselves up on non-essential busyness, leaving us exhausted and burned-out.

I love a good paradox, and this is one of the best: by using our resources on what we love rather than on what doesn't really matter, we are actually renewed. Engaging with the challenging and important in our lives boosts our energy, inspires our creativity, and nurtures our relationships.

Here are some ways you can reach destinations with your organising:

Narrow your priorities to only four to six. Use organising to create space for them, and to make them happen. Don't waste time organising stuff that isn't important to you, unless it's to get it out of the way.

Pare back dramatically to cut down the amount you need to organise. Declutter not only possessions, but other life areas too. Keep going until you see results: clearer rooms; a saner schedule; and time for what you love.

Don’t organise for the sake of it. Ask yourself why you want to better manage your laundry, buy that storage unit for the office, or re-write your to do list. When you know why you want to do something, you can find its critical path (the simplest, most straightforward way of getting it done), and you can solve that particular organising problem for good.

Look for patterns. Is there a hitch in a system, a set of toys you are always picking up, or an unused set of silver you polish every year? Fix or delete these things so you don’t have to keep dealing with them.

Set limits: a block of time for cleaning; a number of items to declutter each day; a maximum number of evenings out.

Keep perspective: aim for good rather than perfect.

Once you organise something, live with it for a while. If it works, you have arrived!

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Parts of the organising process can and should be finished. If you have time for relationships, some space in your schedule (even a little), knock tasks off your to do list, use the majority of your possessions, and keep your home consistently (not perfectly) clean rather than fluctuating between mess and order, then organising is working for you. But don’t worry if this isn’t the case—try some of the ideas above to see if you can finalise some stale organising issues.

03/10/2011

I’ve started this blog to share my interest and to collaborate on new organising-related ideas and experiences.

For over two decades, I’ve researched every facet of organising, applied the principles to my life, and written about the topic as a freelance writer. Recently, however, I felt I was re-reading a lot of material in my quest for new information.

I already knew how to declutter, how to store like with like, and how to arrange objects according to frequency of use. I also realised that even though I was ‘organised’, I was continually moving things around and dealing with an ever-growing to do list. It was becoming increasingly difficult to find time and energy for what was really important.

Unless I could better apply my organising knowledge to shape a more mindful life—one focused on valued relationships and experiences—I knew I was going to stay on the treadmill. Traditional organising, no matter how much I enjoyed it, was sustaining this lifestyle.

I decided to use organising in the service of my life, rather than in the service of my stuff. As I looked more deeply into philosophies related to organising—such as simple living, mindfulness, and minimalism—I drew together a holistic, yet highly focused, approach.

Even though I’d thought my home was already decluttered and well-organised, in reality I’d only just begun. With a fresh perspective, I kept going until my possessions, to do list, and thought patterns were less in my way. I also stopped putting off my passions and dreams until some distant moment when I had it all together.

Three discoveries, in particular, were surprising and welcomed: real treasure was already in my life waiting to be appreciated; a sense of spaciousness and enthusiasm for life returned; and I found that I often got in (and thus could get out of) my own way—putting the trivial before the important, letting fear hold me back, and clinging rather than releasing.

Being extra organised is not about being perfect, obsessive, or a control-freak. It’s figuring out what you want in your life, and using organising as the vehicle to get there.

Try this quick exercise to see how closely your life reflects what you say is important to you:

What are your top five priorities?

From a friend’s perspective, what would they say your top five priorities are?

Does the way you spend your time reflect either list?

What is getting in the way of your priorities? Is it worth it?

Keeping your list short forces you to focus on what really matters. Don’t worry about what you think should be there or what would have appeared in the past—there is only room for what is important to you now.

Use the list as a straightforward way of evaluating your possessions, and figuring out how to spend your time, energy, and money. Make sure most of what you do relates to one of your priorities, and let go of what doesn’t.

I look forward to engaging with you on this blog to not only make room for what is important, but to make it happen.

As well as regular posts, I will include snapshots of organising bliss, extra organised gems I uncover in my research, and reviews of organising resources with edgy ideas.